Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Museum Van Loon
A chance to see inside a
private canal house, whose
grand yet approachable 18th-
century interior recreates a
bygone age
(see pp30-31)
.
Museum Willet-
Holthuysen
Though it lacks the lived-in feel
of the Museum Van Loon, this
17th-century canal house has its
own special atmosphere. An air
of stiff formality tinged with
melancholy pervades its stately
rooms: the Ballroom; the Blue
Room, reserved for the men of
the house, with painted ceiling
by Jacob de Wit; the glittering
Dining Room; and the delicate
Garden Room, with views over
the formal garden. The collect-
ions of its last owners, Sandrina
Holthuysen and her husband,
Abraham Willet, are displayed
throughout - paintings, glass,
ceramics, silver. The top floors
are used for temporary
exhibitions. It was the widowed
Sandrina who left the house and
its contents to the city. She died
a lonely death in 1885, trying to
keep up appearances.
d
Heren-
gracht 605
•
Map P6
•
020 523 1822
•
www.museumwilletholthuysen.nl
•
Open 10am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-5pm
Sat & Sun
•
Admission charge
Magere Brug
Amstel River
No visit to Amsterdam is
complete without a walk along
the banks of the Amstel, the
river whose mouth spawned a
fishing settlement in the 12th
century
(see p38)
. In 1222 the
river was dammed, and
Amsterdam turned from fishing
to trade - the beginning of its
expansion. Commercial barges
still ply the river, passing
Blauwbrug (Blue Bridge), inspired
by the
belle époque
Pont
Alexandre III in Paris, the much-
loved Magere Brug
(see p11)
,
and the Amstelsluizen (sluice
gates), which help to pump
millions of gallons of fresh water
into the canals to keep them
from stagnating.
d
Map P5
Rembrandtplein
This former butter market
has what you might call a split
personality. In its centre is a
19th-century statue of
Rembrandt set in a tranquil
garden, but around its sides are
neon-lit, low-brow and - at night
- high-octane bars and cafés,
packed with Amsterdammers
and visitors alike. This is a great
place for an early evening drink;
you might choose grand cafés
Schiller
(see p113)
and De Kroon
(see p50)
, as popular at the turn
of the 20th century as they are
now.
d
Map N6
Museum Willet-Holthuysen
107
